Improved lever-buckle



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PATENT H. w. WARNER., on cnnnnrinnn, MASSACHUSETTS.

:Menor/ED LEVER-BUCKLE.

.T0 all whom', t maj/ concern: l

Be it known that I, H. XV. VARNEE of Greenfield, county of Franklin, andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Lever-Buckles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeinghad to the accompanying drawings,mak ing part of this specication,and to the letters of reference thereon- Figure 1 being a perspectiveView, Fig. 2 a top plan view, and Fig. 8 a sectional view, taken in theline of x x of Fig. 2.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe it.

The general construction and use of leverbuckles are so well known thata description thereof is deemed unnecessary in this specification, andis therefore omitted.

In the drawings, A represents the metallic frame of a lever-buckle,which may be either cast or stamped from sheet metal, as desired, andaccording to the size and strength required. This fraine is enlarged ormade wider at its front portion, either on one or both sides, as may bepreferred, whereby a recess. c, is formed therein, as clearly shown inFigs. l and 2.

B represents the tongue or lever, which is pivoted nearly midway of theframe A at a, as clearly shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. rlhe front end oflever B is constructed as shown in Figs. l and 2, in which the lowerportion is represented as being cut awa-y or recessed, whereby twobearing-edges, c and c', are provided to impinge upon and grip the strapD when the latter is properly inserted between the end of lever B andthe inner front wall of frame A, as shown in Fig. 2, by which means thestrap is more securely held and prevented from slipping. y

C represents a piece of sheet metal of suitable size and form, which isalso pivoted upon the same rod with B, and provided with holes forriveting or otherwise securing it to the shoe, skate, stra-p, or otherarticle on which it is to be used. The inner front wall of frame leverB,and be thereby held firmly and secure. ly in place, the length of leverB being such that when the strap is inserted said lever cannot be drawnvor forced through the openingl in frame A.

n In lever-buckles as ordinarily constructed, especially when applied toshoes and skates, for which purposes they are generally used, it isfound to be difficult to release them, for the reason that the strap isnecessarily drawn up very tight; and the strap and buckle lying closedown upon the shoe or other object, it is impossible to insert thefinger under the lever B for the purpose of lifting or forcing it up, itof course being held down very tight bythe pulling or drawing of thestrap D thereon, and the tighter the strap isidrawn the greater thisdiiculty becomes, and when superadded to this difliculy is that of thebenuinbed fingers of the operator the operation is rendered Still moredifficult. To obviate this evil I at tach to the sides-one or both-oflever B, near its front end, the projections b, which are so formed asto fit within the recesses c e and project outward over the top of frameA, as shown 'in Fig. 2. rlhese projections b thus Vconstitute handles bywhich the lever B can be raised, and the stra-p at once released. lt'but one projection be provided, the thumbnail, or a knife-blade, or anysimilar object can be readily inserted underneath it for prying up thelever B. If two are provided, they can be readily grasped between thethumb and inger, and the lever thus released; or, if too tightly helddown to be thus raised, any suit` able implement can be used to pry itup, as already described. i n

It is obvious that in making buckles with my improvements, especiallythose of small sizes, the lever B may be stamped or cut from sheet metalwith the projections b thereon all in a single piece, the projectionsbeing suitably bent or curved, either at the time of cutting them out orby a separate operation thereafter, as may be most desirable. It is alsofurther obvious that the recesses e in the frame A may be omitted `insuch cases, provided the projections b are made to spring up from thelever at a point within the line of its sides or edges, so as not tocome in contact with the inner sides of frame A and prevent the leverfrom dropping down asufiicient distance to secure the strap.

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The projections or handles b, one or more, in combination with thetongue of a leverbuckle, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

HENRY VARNER.

y Vitiiesses:

ALMON BRAINARD, JONA. M. MANN. A

